There is a significant industrial interest in the production of the compound eritadenine, particularly for but not limited to, its potential use as a blood cholesterol reducing therapeutic agent for humans. The fungus Lentinus edodes, more commonly known as the shiitake mushroom, is known to produce eritadenine when the fungus forms the fruit body of the mushroom. In prior art it was discussed that eritadenine could only be formed in significant amounts by causing the formation of the fruit body. This is a problem since the cost of raising shiitake solely for extraction of the eritadenine is prohibitive. In order to produce the eritadenine as a therapeutic agent there is a need to be able to produce it in fermentive culture.